A Horse Tale
by horsecrrrazy
Summary: Since I LOVE horses, I made this one with horses in it! There is a new character... Pairings: Ayu-Kaji, Tsujiai-Nina, one sided NEW CHAR-Yuta, one sided Yuta-Maya. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

A Horse Tale  
Chapter 1  
Horseback Riding  
  
"Kaji!" Ayu cried to her boyfriend, face wide with fear. She had been walking down the corridor when she slipped on the stairs, falling. "Tateishi!" Kaji said, reaching out quickly to the beautiful brunette. Just in time, he caught her hand and pulled her up to safety.  
"Thanks!" she said, smiling at him. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned in and closed her eyes for a quick kiss. Then she laughed and blushed. It had been a long time since they had-get this!-kissed.  
"Don't blush." He said mysteriously, cupping her face in his hands and closing his eyes again. She laughed and shook her head. "Not in the hallways, Kaji-kun!" Kaji laughed along and took her hand, walking with her to their classroom.  
"Ayu-chan!" Nina cried, running over and dragging Tsujiai behind her. There's a new student again!" she said, panting. "Ouch, that hurt!" Tsujiai said, rubbing his shoulder. "Oh, sorry, Tsujiai-kun... but I bet this will make it better!" she giggled, brushing her lips against his.  
"Not now, not now, you two!" Ayu said, pulling them apart. "Sorry..." Nina grinned, but Tsujiai kissed her quickly before parting. "See you!" he said, going to his desk.  
Ayu smiled at Nina, eyes twinkling. "Is this new student a boy, by any chance?" she teased. Nina laughed. "No, she's a girl from the Philippines named Isa. We talked already, and I promised her we'll all be friends." Nina said happily.  
She pointed to a girl with two long brown braids bending over a notebook and scribbling something. Ayu smiled and walked over to her. The girl didn't notice.  
"Hi Isa, I'm Ayu Tateishi." She said, smiling as the girl looked up and nodded politely. "Hi Ayu, Nina." She said, looking at the boys. "Oh! This is Kaji Tetsushi, and then Tsujiai Hiroki." Nina said, and the boys waved.  
"What are you doing?" Ayu asked, peering at the paper. Isa uncovered her words. "Oh, I'm just writing some stats about my horse." She said, smiling. The paper said:  
  
Cali Chestnut Mare Anglo-Arab 16.2 hh 11 years old English all-rounder  
  
"Wow, you have a horse!" Nina exclaimed. "Cali. Is it a boy or girl?" Isa smiled. "She's a mare, female." She replied.  
"I don't mean to be rude... but what does that stuff mean?" Tsujiai said after a moment. The others looked at each other. That was what they had been thinking too. Isa laughed.  
"Don't be ashamed, I get that all the time!" she said. "Okay, I'll explain. She's a chestnut, which means she's a golden-brown coppery color all over, and a mare, which means female, and then her breed is an Anglo- Arab, which is a cross between a Thoroughbred and an Arabian, and then she's 16.2 hh high, which means 16.2 hands. Horses are measured in hands, one hand is four inches, she's 11 years old, and an English all-rounder, which means she is good at all types of English riding. And I guess I'm just blabbing." She finished sheepishly.  
"No, it's interesting. We've always wanted to learn, and I like horses a lot." Ayu said. The others nodded. "Really?!" Isa said, jumping up. "Then would you like to watch my riding lesson tomorrow?"  
Nina looked at all of them, and Kaji, Ayu and Tsujiai nodded. She looked back at Isa and smiled.  
"We'd be glad to!" she said.  
  
When Kaji, Ayu, Nina and Tsujiai arrived at the stables, Isa was already there, wearing boots, helmet and gloves, and holding the reins of a pretty golden-brown mare. It was Cali.  
"Can I pet her?" Nina asked shyly, and Isa nodded, showing her how to pat the horse's neck. Nina smiled at the horse and stepped back, joining her friends up at the bleachers where they could watch.  
Isa smiled and Ayu watched as she put her foot in one stirrup and mounted up and then walked her horse into the ring. She made Cali stand in the ring while she shortened her stirrups for jumping.  
The start of the lesson began with everyone walking around. Then the teacher shouted, "Trot on!" and Isa's horse went faster, the mare's back bouncing Isa up and down. Isa started rising up and down in the saddle, called posting, to keep from being bounced.  
"Look!" Nina said excitedly as the teacher said to canter. Isa kicked Cali lightly and pulled a bit on the left rein and the horse went even faster. But Nina could easily see the difference from the canter and trot. The trot was bouncy and jolting, while cantering was smooth and steady, more like a rocking horse.  
Isa cantered around for a while, then the teacher made her walk while she set up some poles around the ring. "But those are poles, not jumps!" Ayu whispered. Nina shrugged.  
The students cantered and trotted over the poles for awhile, then Isa's teacher started putting them up, attaching each side of the poles to two sides.  
When the jumps were put up, they were only less than a foot high. Truth to tell, even Isa looked bored. "Why are they so low?" Kaji asked. They shrugged.  
After they had all trotted and cantered over the low jumps several times, the teacher (whose name was Janine) let the others dismount and go out, but kept Isa in.  
"Why...?" Nina exclaimed, but they suddenly saw Janine putting the jumps up. Now the jumps were probably two feet high, and Isa was finally looking interested.  
"Okay, Isa, over the red, then blue, then yellow, then green." Janine said, and Isa nodded and cantered Cali towards the first jump. Sailing over that one, she smiled and looked toward the next. She and Cali cleared all four jumps before coming back down to a walk. Now Janine raised the jumps again, even higher!  
"How high is that?" Tsujiai asked, staring at the jumps. Isa's classmate, named Carline, said, "It's probably .75 of a meter. She does that sometimes."  
"She jumps .75 of a meter!" Nina said. "That's high..." Ayu said, and Kaji gave a whistle. "Go Isa!" he suddenly shouted, and Ayu echoed him. Then Tsujiai and Nina said, "You can do it!" and Janine laughed. "Seems like you've got a fan club, Isa!" she said, and Isa blushed.  
She cantered over the jumps once more, but this time she brought down the pole of the last jump. Isa shook her head and tried again, this time doing them perfectly. "That's enough, Isa." Janine said, smiling. "Good." Isa went into the barn and untacked her horse then bathed Cali and dried her off before putting her into her stall.  
"You're so good, Isa!!!" Nina exclaimed as they surrounded her. "Nah, some people I know can do more than a meter." Isa said modestly, blushing.  
  
Back at school, Nina, Ayu, Isa, Kaji, and Tsujiai were talking about riding. "That's so cool!" Nina said, and they laughed.  
Yuta came up to them. "What's so cool?" he asked, smiling at them. By then, the whole class knew Isa. "It's Isa!" Ayu said. "She's so good at horseback riding! She can jump .75 of a meter!"  
Yuta smiled. "That's pretty high." He said, looking at Isa. The girl had turned red, blushing furiously. Ayu glanced at Nina, who nodded. Could it be that Isa... liked Yuta?"  
"Anyway, see you guys later!" Isa said, packing her books and going out. "Bye!" Yuta called, and Isa turned around, blushing. "Bye..." she said shyly, then turned to run off. 


	2. Chapter 2

A Horse Tale  
Chapter 2  
Lessons  
  
"Isa!" Nina shouted, running up the corridor. "Isa!" She saw Ayu along the way and grabbed her friend's arm, dragging her behind just as she had done to Tsujiai.  
"Isa, I want to ask you something." She said, letting Ayu go and clasping her hands in front of her. Kaji ran up, panting, and Tsujiai came up beside him.  
"Nina... me and Ayu were in the middle of something very important!" he protested, blushing a bit. "I'm glad that you thought kissing was important..." Ayu giggled, caressing his cheek with her right hand. Leaning forward, she closed her eyes.  
Tsujiai turned red. "Leave them." Nina said without a backward glance. "They deserve a break." She turned her thoughts back to Isa. The girl was blushing hotly as well, because of Ayu and Kaji, or maybe it was because Yuta had walked up.  
"Well... Isa... I wanted to ask if... err... could I... no, that's not right..." Nina struggled for words. Ayu pulled away from Kaji and said shortly, "She wants to take up riding lessons like you." She turned back to her boyfriend.  
"Well, yes I do." Nina said, smiling at Isa. "Do you know where I could sign up for some?" she asked hopefully.  
Isa giggled. "Okay, you can watch my riding lesson again tomorrow and we'll see about getting you signed up with Leila. She turned to the rest of the group, pulling Ayu and Kaji apart again. "Do any of you want to take riding, too?" she asked.  
This time it was Yuta who spoke. They hadn't heard him come up. "Would it be all right if we would just come along with you? We could do work if you taught us... sort of like a ground crew..." he said, and Isa nodded, blushing.  
"Sure, that would be great!" she said happily, and the others nodded. "So, here's the plan. I have riding every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 4:30 in the afternoon. If you can be at the stables at those times, I'll teach you everything you need to know to help me."  
She turned to Nina. "And I'll help you, too. I can give you some riding tips and skills." She stopped talking and smiled. "I never knew this many people liked horses!"  
Maya watched them from behind a pillar. "Holy Stone... at the stables." She read silently from her computer. "But how will I get a chance to find it?" she mused, stroking Lulu.  
"...Isa." Everyone turned to see Maya standing there, looking at Isa and blushing. "Could I... also take riding lessons?" she asked, and Kaji frowned.  
Isa didn't know why Maya wanted to sign up, but didn't care. Nodding cheerfully, she smiled and told Maya where to be, and when. "Arigato!" Maya said, walking away.  
"That was easy..." she chuckled to herself.  
  
"You want to sign up for riding lessons?" Leila asked, smiling. "All right then." She turned away from Nina and Maya and wrote their names in a book. "Your lessons are on the same days as Isa's, only one hour later." She said, and Nina saw her name written beside '5:30'. Maya nodded. "That's later." She said. "What will we do while Isa is having hers?"  
"Well... I'll get someone to help you." She said, then smiled as Yuta walked in. "Yuta!!! It's so nice to see you again." She turned to the girls. "I never knew you were friends! All right then. Yuta, can you help these ladies with... everything they need to do?" she asked, and Yuta nodded.  
"I have to go. Isa probably has Cali tacked up already." She said, and waved, shutting the door behind her. As soon as she was gone, Nina and Maya glared at Yuta.  
"You took riding lessons???" Nina asked, and Maya shook her head. "You could have been using that time practicing your magic!" she scolded. Yuta laughed. "You two are just jealous because I'm good at magic and I had time for riding lessons!"  
After a bit of fighting, Yuta led them to the barn aisle and looked at a sheet posted on the bulletin board there. "Okay, Nina, you're riding a horse called... Making Magic!" Nina laughed at the horse's name. It was perfect for her.  
Yuta led her to a bay horse standing in one of the stalls. "He's a bay, which means his coat is brown and his mane and tail are black." Yuta explained, and then left Nina to get acquainted with her horse while he looked for Maya.  
"This is Sunbeam." He said, gesturing to a palomino mare. "She's a palomino, which means she's golden..." Maya cut him off with a glare. "I know what a palomino is." She said, stroking the mare's nose. "I read up on the internet."  
Yuta looked around and bent closer to Maya. "Listen, why do you want to take up riding? I remember that you were scared of horses when you were little!" he said. Maya turned away. "I'm not anymore... and there's a Holy Stone at the stables."  
Yuta smiled. "I was wondering when you would find out." He said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Maya gasped and slapped him. "Don't do that ever again!" she said, and stomped off to find her gear.  
"Oh, and I don't need any help. I told you, I read up on the internet." She said, without a backward glance. Yuta rubbed his cheek and went back to Nina.  
"Here." He said, dumping a saddle pad, girth, saddle and bridle down on a rack. He handed Nina a brush and led Making Magic out of his stall, tying him up in the barn aisle.  
"Brush him, then I'll show you how to pick out his hooves, then the tack." Nina nodded and started brushing the bay's silky coat. When she was done, Yuta came with a hoof pick and bucket and bent down close to Making Magic, facing the opposite from where the horse was facing.  
"Here's how you pick up his hoof." He said, leaning on Magic's shoulder and running his hand down the horse's leg. Magic bent his hoof obediently, and Yuta carefully dislodged all the dirt and mud from the horse's hoof.  
"I... I'll try..." Nina said, doing the same. It took her a little longer, but she finished perfectly. "It's easy!" she said, going to the back of the horse.  
"No, you only have to do the front." Yuta said, grabbing her hand. "Here, first put on this saddle pad." he said, helping her smooth the cloth over the horse's back.  
"Then the saddle." He said, lugging the saddle up. Nina nodded, helping him position it. He took the girth. "Then the girth." He said, doing up the girth on the left. Nina did it up on the right.  
"Don't we tighten it?" she asked, but Yuta shook his head. "Not until later, when you're about to get on." He said. Nina took the bridle, instantly getting tangled in all the straps. "Err... how do you do this?" she asked, and Yuta laughed.  
By the time they had tacked Magic up and led her out, Maya was already at the mounting block. She glanced around, and then snapped her fingers, and her body rose up high in the air. She settled herself down on Sunbeam's back and shortened her stirrups, collecting her reins. She turned back and winked.  
Nina smiled back. Yuta helped her tighten the girth, and then she stood on the mounting block and reached her left foot up to the stirrup, swinging herself up. Yuta smiled. "How did you know how to do that?" he asked, shortening her stirrups for her.  
"I saw Isa do it." She replied shortly, and Yuta took her reins and led her into the ring.  
The lesson was easy and fun and Nina learned to post up and down at the trot. Making Magic behaved wonderfully, responding to leg and rein whenever he needed to. She dismounted and gave him a pat, and Yuta came into the ring again to help her.  
They untacked Magic and hosed him down, and then Yuta turned the bay horse out in the paddock. Ayu, Kaji and Tsujiai were helping Isa.  
"So, what do we do now?" Kaji asked when everything was finished. Isa smiled, and said, "I'll show you all the horses. I hope you don't get bored, though."  
"...and this is Stardust. She's one of Leila's Grand Prix horses, and she jumps like a dream." Isa finished, giving the mare a pat. Suddenly Tsujiai looked around. "Where's Maya?" he asked.  
"Where is it? Where?!" Maya said, digging through boxes in the tack room. Nina and Yuta came in, frowning at her. "Where is the Holy Stone?!" Maya exclaimed, not noticing the others.  
"Holy Stone?!" Nina, Ayu, Kaji, Yuta, Tsujiai and Isa exclaimed. Suddenly they all looked sharply at Isa. "Might as well tell her." Tsujiai told Nina, and she nodded to Ayu, who walked up to her.  
Nina turned back to Maya. "There's a Holy Stone here?" she asked, hands on her hips. Maya nodded. "That's why I signed up for lessons. I want that Stone!" she said defiantly, and summoned her flying chair.  
"Not the flying chair again... Yuta groaned, but it was too late. Maya got into the chair and flew away. Isa stared after her.  
"So you mean Nina, Yuta, and Maya are kid witches, and Maya's a black magic one? I must be dreaming!" she said, and Ayu patted her on the back. "Don't worry... that's how I first felt." She said.  
  
After school the next day, Nina, Tsujiai, Ayu and Kaji went on a double date at the cinemas. "I'm so happy I get to ride!" Nina said, smiling. Tsujiai and Kaji nodded at each other, and then slid across the booth to their girlfriends, putting an arm around them.  
As Kaji's lips met with hers, Ayu relaxed and even giggled a bit. When their romance had just been starting, everything had been so confusing. Most of the confusion started with a brown-haired boy named Mark who had come last school year. Nina didn't think about anything else except kissing Tsujiai.  
When the couples pulled apart for air, they heard a familiar voice. "I knew I would find you guys smooching someplace." Isa said, laughing and shaking her head. The four friends turned red. 


	3. Chapter 3

A Horse Tale Chapter 3 Nina's Mistake  
  
I'M REALLY SORRY that I couldn't add chapters to this fic.... We moved house and I couldn't access the internet for a week! Anyway... here goes!  
  
"Kaji!" Ayu called, waving her free hand to call his attention. Her other hand clutched the red lead rope of Cali. She smiled down at the mare, who had just started grazing.  
  
As the brown-haired boy jogged over to her and took Cali's lead rope, he gave Ayu a kiss. She giggled and waved goodbye, running to where Nina and Maya were tacking up.  
  
"Need some help, Maya?" Ayu asked, already knowing the answer. Maya didn't look up but shook her head, and Ayu stifled a giggle and went to check on Nina.  
  
"Nina-chan... your throatlatch is too tight." Ayu said, adjusting one of the bridle's straps. "You don't want Magic to choke, do you?" Nina giggled. "Wow, Ayu! You already know enough to correct me!"  
  
The lesson started soon, and Nina confidently picked up a trot, checking her posture. The teacher nodded as each student trotted on, the told them to canter. Magic cantered smoothly, making Nina smile.  
  
At the end of the lesson, Isa's class came into the ring and the teacher made an announcement to them all.  
  
"In September, we are having a show at the Starry Night Stables. There will be two shows, actually, in one day: Equitation and Show Jumping." Nina raised her hand, keeping her other hand on Magic's reins.  
  
"Miss, what's equitation?" she asked politely. "Equitation is kind of like training, the competitors go into the ring and the judges call out commands and gait changes. You're judged on how well you follow those commands." She explained.  
  
"Here is the list of competitors." She said, patting a stack of papers beside her. Ayu scrambled over to the stack of sheets, followed by Tsujiai, Kaji and Yuta. The four kids read quietly, smiling.  
  
The list said: EQUITATION Nina Maya Sam (not in the story) JUMPING Isa Carline Gaby (not in the story...) Erica Andrea  
  
Ayu laughed and clapped her hands for Nina, Maya and Isa. "I'll be cheering for Nina!" Tsujiai said. Kaji nodded. "And Isa, of course." Yuta added. Ayu shot a sharp glance at him, but Yuta didn't notice.  
  
After the lesson, Isa and Nina jumped for joy and the friends met up. "Oh my gosh! It's our first show." The two exclaimed, screaming and laughing.  
  
The next day, Nina was watching Isa jump. The girl was good, but sometimes Cali or she hesitated, bringing down jumps and poles. "I... I want Isa to win the show!" Nina whispered. Grabbing Ayu's hand, she took her to one of the empty back paddocks.  
  
Isa finished her lesson and took care of Cali, then went to put her in a back paddock. Rounding the corner, she saw Nina-transforming into a witch!  
  
Ayu laughed. "Nina! Isa saw you transform!" she cried, and Isa smiled and jogged over with Cali. "A kid witch, huh?"  
  
But Nina was too absorbed with her magic. She typed something into her computer. "What kind of magic are you looking for?" the laptop asked. "Something to help a horseback rider win the show." Nina replied, and smiled.  
  
"Practice!" she said, pressing the enter key. The box of magic beads she had plugged in shimmered brightly, and the beads turned to a golden cup of shimmering powder. Running over to Cali, she threw the powder on the mare.  
  
Cali blinked. "Hello." She suddenly said. "I'm Cali... and you are?" 


	4. Chapter 4

A Horse Tale Chapter 4 From the Horse's Mouth  
  
Isa's jaw dropped. Ayu gasped. Nina smiled. "See, now you can win the show!" she said.  
  
"Show? We're going to the show? Yes! I love jumping!" Cali said, and Isa walked slowly away from her. "Isa! We're entered in a show! Isn't that so fantastic?" the mare said.  
  
"C-C-Cali..." Isa stuttered, and Ayu managed to hold a trembling smile. "Hi, I'm Ayu." She said. "And this is Nina."  
  
"Since when do you speak horse?" Cali demanded, and Isa gasped. "We're not speaking horse, you're speaking human!" she cried, and the horse jerked her head up in shock. "Wha-how-"  
  
"It was me." Nina said happily. "I made you speak human so you and Isa could win the show! Aren't you glad you can talk to her?" she said, and Isa finally smiled.  
  
"Well, Nina, how exactly is this supposed to help me win the show?" Isa asked, stroking Cali's neck. Nina laughed. "You haven't figured it out yet? See, if you can talk to Cali, instead of giving her signals, it will be much easier to get her to do something!"  
  
Ayu nodded. "If Cali knows what you want, she'll do it much quicker!" she smiled and clapped her hands. "It's perfect, Nina!"  
  
But Nina wasn't smiling anymore. Looking down at her computer, she gasped. "What? What is it now?" Isa asked, scrambling over to look.  
  
"I've just discovered that the magic wears off in... three days!" she said, and Isa gasped. "But three days is so short!" she shook her head. "At least the show is already tomorrow."  
  
Ayu stood up, a confident look on her face. "It's all right. All you have to do is make sure Cali understands what you want her to do, and in the future, when you ride her, she'll know what you mean at last."  
  
Cali nodded empathetically. "Yes, you can just tell me what your different signals mean and I'll remember!" she said, looking at Isa. Isa nodded and smiled.  
  
A minute later she was tacking Cali up. After putting on the saddle, the mare suddenly kicked out at the barn wall, throwing up her head.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, you can tell me what's wrong. You can talk, remember?" Isa said, soothing the mare. Cali nodded, but showed the whites of her eyes, meaning she was still uncomfortable. "There's... there's something under my pad."  
  
Isa quickly picked up the saddle and pad and saw a big, prickly burr stuck in it. She hadn't noticed because she hadn't been paying attention. Throwing it away, she hugged her horse. "I'm sorry, Cali; it's my fault for not seeing it." She closed her eyes in pain, imagining that burr twisting into Cali's skin when she mounted her.  
  
Cali nickered and pushed her with her muzzle. "Let's get going." The mare said gently.  
  
"Having fun out there?" Ayu called, when Isa and Cali where in the ring. Both of them nodded, and laughed. Isa was having a great time! Already she had learned what Cali didn't like doing, and why, and which signals she didn't understand. And Cali had learned too.  
  
"So when you use your inside leg in a circle, it means I have to curve my body?" Cali asked, and Isa nodded. "And now I know that you hate it when I bounce at the sitting trot." She replied.  
  
Nina rode up beside them. They had asked permission to ride the horses, even if they didn't have a lesson. "I can see how well you're doing now!" Nina said, and Isa smiled. "Thanks so much. Now I know a lot about my horse."  
  
Nina gave a comic salute and cantered off.  
  
"Okay, Cali, now I want you to jump that." Isa said, pointing her horse towards a red vertical beside a blue one. "Which one? The red or the blue?" Cali asked, and Isa smiled down. "The red one. From now on, if I'm in front of two jumps, I'll press a tiny bit with which leg is on the jump's side."  
  
Cali nodded and started cantering towards the jump, sailing over it effortlessly. "That was much easier when I knew what you meant." The horse said in a low voice that only Isa could hear, in case anyone else saw her talking. Isa nodded.  
  
Finally, it was the day of the show. Nina was so nervous that she bit one of her nails until it bled. As Ayu went with her to get a bandage, Isa started tacking up Cali. The jumping would come first, and then the equitation.  
  
"Hi." Isa almost jumped out of her skin. Yuta stood there, smiling. "Oh, hi, Yuta." She said nervously, tucking her hair behind her ear. He patted her on the shoulder. "Good luck with the show. I'm sure you'll get the blue ribbon." He left, and that was good, because Isa was red as a tomato.  
  
The jumpers started, and after a few rounds, Isa's palms grew cold. Ayu smiled up at her, patting Cali's neck, and the mare tried her best to give Isa a smooth ride as they went over a couple of warm-up jumps.  
  
Then it was her round. Isa trotted Cali into the ring, nodded to the judges, and, with the signal of the bell, put Cali into a canter. The mare obeyed, knowing what Isa wanted before she even gave the command.  
  
They cantered towards the first jump, a green fence. Isa pointed Cali to the fence and they went over smoothly, landing perfectly and turning to go to the next one, a blue vertical.  
  
"Boy, these jumps are sure colorful today." Isa mumbled, and Cali nodded, sailing over the vertical and taking care to tuck her hooves up cleanly.  
  
After that jump, Isa started to relax. Everything was blotted out. No crowd, no judges, no people. It was just her and Cali, jumping together.  
  
They headed for the last jump, a yellow oxer next to a brown one. Cali slowed down, uncertain of which jump it was. Remembering their discussion earlier, Isa pushed a tiny bit with her left foot, and Cali powered towards the left jump, the oxer. They cantered towards it, confident...  
  
Then Isa lost her stirrup.  
  
Cali hesitated, worried for her rider, but Isa shook her head and pushed on, clasping her foot to the mare's side. Going perfectly over the jump and finishing a clear round, Isa brought Cali down to a trot and fell out of the saddle, unbalanced.  
  
Ayu rushed over to her and caught Cali's reins. "Are you all right?" she asked, and Isa nodded. "I just wanted to finish the round." She said, and grew a bit pale. Her breath had been knocked out of her.  
  
After the ride, Leila introduced Isa to a new rider. Her name was Stephanie, and she had jumped as well, at a different stable. "Hi, I'm Isa." Isa said, holding out her hand.  
  
Stephanie ignored the hand and replied, "I'm Stephanie. Let's go for a trail ride, I know the trails very well here."  
  
Isa stiffened at the girl's icy tone and nodded, taking Cali's reins. The mare didn't have a saddle, and wasn't very sweaty, considering how she had jumped, so Isa swung on bareback.  
  
Stephanie was shocked, but, deciding to prove she could do the same, mounted her horse bareback as well. The horse's name was Cacillæ, whatever that meant.  
  
The two girls trotted along a beautiful forest trail, lined with oak and maple trees. The trails branched out in every direction, making it easy to get lost.  
  
"Just follow me, you won't get lost." Stephanie said haughtily, keeping herself in front of Isa. Isa nodded and rolled her eyes, wanting to be anywhere in the world except for here with Stephanie.  
  
â« "You make me feel like dancing!" â« Nina sang softly as she tacked up Making Magic. Maya went into the tack room again, shaking her head. "I can't find the holy stone..."  
  
Suddenly a round shape caught her eye, in the corner of Sunbeam's stall. The shadows made it impossible to see what the round thing was. "Holy Stone?" Maya whispered, getting into the stall and crouching down.  
  
She reached out her hand to the round object, picked it up, brought it out to the light...  
  
"AAAAH!! EWWWW!" Maya screamed, throwing the ball away. It was a piece of horse manure! Nina stifled a giggle, and Yuta, who was walking into the barn, laughed. Maya stomped out of the stables, tugging Sunbeam along with her. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 The Show must go on  
  
"Do you think these apples are all right to eat?" Isa asked after a while, wanting to be friendly. Stephanie shrugged. Isa rolled her eyes again and reached up to one of the low branches, plucking an apple from a tree.  
  
Taking a bite out of the apple, Isa nodded to herself. The sweet juice gushed down her throat, and Cali was eyeing her jealously. Giggling, Isa put a finger to her lips.  
  
Stephanie wheeled her horse to face Cali. Both Isa and Cali jerked back, surprised. Stephanie scowled. "Listen, I really don't want to be here with you... so... tata!" she said, and spurred her horse.  
  
Gasping, Isa watched as the girl galloped away. She leaned down on Cali's neck and hugged her mare, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
They were on a strange, unfamiliar trail that branched out, and no one else was with them.  
  
They were alone.  
  
"Nina, it's your turn up next!" Ayu said happily, giving a leg up to her friend. Nina nodded and settled herself into the saddle.  
  
"Where's Isa?" she asked, looking around. "I did get to watch her round, but she disappeared after that!" Ayu shrugged. "Let's just hope she's fine, okay?" she said. "You need to concentrate on your show."  
  
Nina nodded again. "Wish me luck!" she said, turning Magic to the show ring. Suddenly a whinny pierced the air, followed by the sound of clattering hooves.  
  
Stephanie galloped in, face worried. Dismounting and handing her reins to a groom, she ran to Ayu and Nina. "You've got to help me find her!" she said dramatically. "It's Isa!"  
  
Nina gasped, and Yuta came running up. "What's wrong?" he asked, and Stephanie shook with fear. "It's Isa! She galloped off on the trails, and I don't know which path she took!"  
  
Ayu glanced sharply at Stephanie. The girl stared back confidently, and finally Ayu had to look away.  
  
Yuta shook his head. "I didn't know..." he said, then stopped. Everyone knew what he was going to say. They didn't think Isa would do something like that.  
  
Isa was walking Cali along the trail. The sky was darkening already, and she worried if Nina had won her show. Shaking her head, she sniffed. It was time to stop crying. There was nothing she could do. If she was lost, she was lost.  
  
"Oh, Cali... that girl makes me so mad!" she shivered. It was starting to get cold. "Obviously, this can't get any worse, can it?' Cali said.  
  
Instantly thunder rumbled, lightning flashed across the sky, and rain poured down. Cali shook her head. "Forget I said that." She said, and continued walking on.  
  
Isa pulled on the reins. "It's just you and me, then, Cali." She sighed. Cali bobbed her head. "I'm hungry..." Isa sighed.  
  
"Nina Sakura, Nina Sakura, it's your turn." The announcer boomed out over the speaker. Nina gasped. It was either go to the show or save Isa. It was one or the other.  
  
Shaking her head with determination, she turned Magic to the forests. "Nina...?" Ayu said, but Nina shook her head. "I'm going after Isa!" she said, galloping off. Rain poured down.  
  
"Hello? Hello!" Isa sobbed into her cell phone. But it was wet. Shaking her head, she put it back in her pocket. Dismounting, she hugged Cali and loosened the mare's girth. "Come on, it's time to eat." She said, letting her graze. Cali nodded.  
  
"Isa!" Nina shouted through the wind. Rain beat down on her face as she galloped through the forest. "Isa!"  
  
Isa looked up. Someone had shouted her name. "I'm here! I'm here!" she screamed, shaking with cold again. An instant later, Nina came galloping up. "Isa!" her friend screamed with relief.  
  
Dismounting, Nina ran over to Isa, forgetting Magic. The horse bolted off, and Isa laughed. "It's all right, I'll walk. Cali deserves a rest."  
  
"Stephanie left me on the trails!" she said, and Nina shook her head. "I knew she was lying." She said, and Isa smiled.  
  
"Cali, thanks so much for enduring all this!" she said, and Nina patted the mare. No reaction. "Cali?" Isa asked. They had reached the stables, and it had stopped raining.  
  
Facing her mare from the front, Isa's eyes grew big. "Cali! Cali! Can you understand me?!" she screamed. The mare just looked back at her with sad eyes.  
  
"Oh, Isa... I think... the magic's gone..." Nina said sympathetically, and Isa burst into tears, hugging the mare once again.  
  
Nina patted her friend on the shoulder. "Listen, Isa... Just because Cali can't talk doesn't mean she doesn't want to, you know? She still loves you and you love her." Isa wiped the tears from her face and nodded. "Thanks, Nina... for being a good friend."  
  
Nina smiled and shrugged it off. "That's all right. That's what friends are for, right? And besides, I know you would have done the same for me."  
  
THE END 


End file.
